The City of North Richland Hills has adopted the 2012 I-Codes as published by the International Code Council. The adopted codes include the 2012 International Building, the 2012 International Residential Code, the 2012 International Plumbing Code, the 2012 International Mechanical Code, and the 2012 International Fuel Gas Code. Other codes used by the city include the 2014 National Electrical Code and the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code. Please note that the city has amended the published codes in several areas utilizing the North Central Texas Council of Governments Recommended Regional Amendments, as well as a number of specific local amendments. All regional and local amendments can be found under Chapter 98 of the North Richland Hills Code of Ordinances.

The building codes the city uses are copyrighted documents and are not located on the city's website. Copies of the I-Codes can be found at the North Richland Hills Public Library; or they can be purchased from the International Code Council at www.iccsafe.org. You may also view the 2012 I-Codes at https://codes.iccsafe.org/public.

Every contractor performing construction work requiring permits and inspections must be registered with the City. Registration is completed in person at the Planning & Development Department located at City Hall, 4301 City Point Drive. There is an $94 annual registration fee for all contractors except plumbers.

Basically any new, remodeling, enlarging, altering, addition or demolition to buildings and structures will require a permit. Many construction repairs also require a building permit depending on the extent of the repair. There are some miscellaneous type projects that will require permits which include, but are not necessarily limited to fencing, driveways, decks over 30 inches in height, some satellite dishes, lawn irrigation systems, retaining walls and some portable buildings. For clarification, please check with the Customer Service Assistants by calling 817-427-6300.

A Certificate of Occupancy (commonly referred to as a C/O) is a document that is issued by the Building Official. The C/O contains information concerning the owner/tenant of the property, the address, the building code use classification, type of construction and the name of the zoning use of the property. The C/O is required to be posted in a conspicuous place at the location for which it is issued.

A Certificate of Occupancy is required for new construction, addition or remodeling to existing commercial buildings; for a change of use of a building or land to a different use; for a change in the ownership or tenant of a building; or for a change in the business name.

Yes, you must contact the Fire Department Fire Marshal's Office to schedule a fire inspection prior to obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy. The Certificate of Occupancy will not be issued until this inspection has been completed. The fire department number for setting up an inspection is 817-427-6900.

It is the goal of the department to conduct an initial review of all residential submittals within 7-10 working days; however, due to current construction levels, staff is experiencing the need for additional review times. It is the goal of the department to conduct an initial review of all commercial submittals within 15 working days; however, due to current construction levels, staff is experiencing the need for additional review times. Incomplete or inaccurate construction documents may lead to additional review time due to the need to review subsequent revisions.

Submit 2 complete sets of plans for residential projects and 3 sets of complete plans for commercial projects. Commercial projects with food sales require 4 sets of plans. Please note that all new commercial buildings, remodels, and additions must be accompanied by a digit copy (PDF) of the plans and specifications.

Requests for inspections may be left on our voice mail message center by calling 817-427-6333. Requests are received 24-7. When leaving a voice message, please leave the entire permit number, the street address and the type of inspection requested. Inspection requests received before 8:00 a.m. any working day are typically performed by the close of the same business day in most cases.

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS - All commercial buildings require a building permit to re-roof. Commercial projects that include the removal of roof insulation must replace the insulation with thicknesses that meet the current energy code. An energy code calculation is typically required and generally results in an increase in insulation thickness.

RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS - One & two family dwellings do not require a permit to replace shingles only. Permits are required for re-roofing projects that include the repair or replacement of roof decking. All re-roofing projects, including those that do not require a building permit, must meet the provisions in Chapter 9 of the International Residential Code. Flashings and drip edges are required.Roofs containing two or more layers of shingles must be completely removed before installation of new shingles. Underlayment must also be replaced when re-shingling a roof.

All citizens are encouraged to use roofing contractors who are registered with the city and are members of the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association. A searchable website is available at https://www.ntrca.com/